Rabbit control has been my job since 2000 and I can certainly say the past 18 years have gone quickly. People have said to me on numerous occasions, “That is my ideal job and you are very lucky.” True enough, and I do feel grateful to be doing what I…
Rabbiting
Is a deadly rabbit virus affecting fox numbers?
Q: Four years or so ago the local rabbit population crashed. We have had myxomatosis previously but the population always seemed to recover to some extent — this time it has not. Could rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) be causing this? Since foxes that prey on rabbits also seem fewer…
Which .22 rifle should I choose for rabbit shooting?
Rabbit shooting: I have been shooting air rifles and shotguns since I was 10 and now have my first firearms certificate after getting permission to shoot on a large farm with a rabbit problem.
Shooting rabbits? These are the airguns you need to know about
Want more success when shooting rabbits with an airgun and wondering what to use? I’ll narrow things down with a run through of the different type of airguns that can be used to control rabbits and then follow that by a look at different calibres. Springers – probably the airgun that comes to…
Tips for shooting rabbits
Rabbits seem to have exploded in volume this year. The early wet weather but milder winter has seen an ever-increasing population boom in the home counties and the torrential rain followed by long, hot days has turned sparse fields into verdant scenes from Land of the Giants where I shoot. This is good for herbivorous rabbits, providing them with…
How to set cage traps for rabbits
A reader asked a question regarding rabbit traps: I have been given some cage traps by a farmer friend, but the only things I have caught have been birds and hedgehogs (all of which were released unharmed). How and what is the best way to set this type of trap? Professional…
Why the CZ 452.17 HMR is still the best for bagging bunnies
I spend a lot of time with my rifles to complement my ferreting and trapping — especially at this time of year. Not all rabbit problems are the same so I have to be adaptable, which is why my gun cabinet contains a wide variety of firearms. I certainly couldn’t operate…
Rabbit shooting with classic rifles
An early morning start, with a light breeze, is an idyllic start to any day’s stalk. But on this occasion it was not an eligible roebuck that I had in mind; it was a humble rabbit. I love rabbit shooting. It was the way I learned to shoot on my uncle’s…
Rabbiting Admiration!
RABBITING I have been lucky enough to travel across the UK to control and remove rabbit populations from all manner of places, some more bizarre than others, and this is where a dog that marks where rabbits are hiding is important. I have fond memories of rabbiting with a friend…
Catching and cooking rabbits, the ferreting way
On this particular morning ferreting, the mist obscured the stunning countryside. The sodden ground highlighted the freshness of the morning as I started to lay my nets. Soon every long-net I possess surrounded a hedge I planned to ferret. Virgin ground, this area had never seen a ferret before, so…
Reaping a rabbit harvest
With the combines and the crops gone, now’s the time to grab your airgun, explains Mat Manning.
Man killed in hunting accident while shooting rabbits
West Mercia Police has released further details about a man killed while shooting rabbits in Shropshire.
VIDEO: Rabbit shooting over ferrets
Simon Whitehead adapts his usual techniques, inviting a friend to shoot with him over his ferrets as they tackle a rabbit problem in Norfolk
Lamping rabbits
Lamping rabbits: The rabbits around here are definitely getting lamp shy and bolt as soon as I switch on. Have you come across this, and is there any way around the problem?